Gun carrier



Oct. 14, 1958 s. L *woLFE ET AL GUN CARRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 19, 1955 l l Siep/ren L. Wolfe J6 40 Howard L. Wal/s i INVENToRs.

` d Attorney:

Oct. 14, 1958 S. L. WOLFE I'AL Filed Dec.V 19, 1955 GUN CARRIER F fg. .3

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sfphen L. Wolfe l Howard L. Wal/s IN V EN TORS.

A. adn/W Aclosely adjacent to the surface of the support.

GUN CARRIER Stephen L. Wolfe and Howard L. Wallis, Johnsonburg, Pa.

Application December 19, 1955, Serial No. 553,778

8 Claims. (Cl. 224-5) ,carrier of the type wherein there is a body strap supporting a panel on the hunter, a cradle mounted for rotation on the panel, a dual functioning spring to both unlatch the `cradle immediately upon removal of the gun therefrom and to return the cradle to a rest position flush with or In this way there is no objectionable protrusion from the hunters United States Patent M' clothing such as would become caught or tangled with the hunters arm.

`Another object of the invention is to provide a gun carrier which enables the hunter to have his gun always ready for immediate action and yet supports the gun in amanner that is safe there being no possibility of any part of the carrier becoming engaged with the rifle trigger.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carrier adapted primarily to support ries, this carrier being a practical device which attaches to the hunters body strap and in such position that the rifle is readily available for instantaneous use.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a part of a hunter showing the rie carrier in use;

Figure 2 is a front view of the rie carrier with parts broken away in section to illustrate internal detail;

Figure 3 is` a fragmentary elevational view with parts shown insection of the `rifle carrier, there being a rie mounted thereon;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the body strap to which the gun carrier is attached.

In the accompanying drawings the hunter has a body strap 12 which is of a selected type from the many body straps which hunters use. The selected body strap includes a belt 14 provided with some type of fastener, as a buckle, together with a shoulder strap 16 which is adjustable. Although the gun carrier 18 is shown attached to the belt 14 of the body strap, it may be attached to other places on the body strap or may be mounted in other Z,856,1 l l Patented Oct'. 14, 1958 lCC r, at.

locations with respect to the hunters body depending on which type of body strap is selected.

Rifle 20 as shown in Figure l, is in readiment for use by the hunter. This rifle is conventional and includes all of the conventional parts of a rifle, such as the trigger guard 22. Carrier 18 consists of a support 24, the latter preferably but not exclusively, being made of leather or plastic and in laminated form (Figure 4). There is a metal panel 26 for strength and stiffening, this panel being covered on its front and rear surfaces by means of plies 28 and 30 of leather, plastic or other material. Panel 26 and the plies 28 and 30 are smoothly curved from one side edge to the other in order to conform generally to the body of the hunter. In addition, these parts of the carrier have two pairs of slots including slots 31, 32 and slots 33, 34. Accordingly the belt 14 may be attached to the carrier by being threaded through these pairs of slots (Figure 5 A rie cradle 36 is mounted on the support 24, this cradle being made of a shank 38 whose lower end is smoothly curved to form a hook 40 whose end is specially contoured (Figure 10). This specially contoured end is made by smoothly curving one side 42 in a large radius arc to merge with a substantially straight opposite side 44. The purpose of this is `to permit the trigger guard 22 to slide over the end of the cradle smoothly, thereby minimizing the possibility of having the riile trigger guard snag thereon. The upper end of shank 38 is left bare, while the lower end thereof including hook 40 is covered with a material which is softer than metal so as toprevent marring of the rie surface. Examples of such coveringmaterial 48 are leather and plastic or rubber.

A mounting plate 50 is attached to the panel 26 near the upper end thereof. Sleeve 52 having open upper and lower ends, is fixed to the mounting plate and has one end of shank 38 mounted for rotation therein. Latch 56`is arranged at the top 4of shank 38 and consists of a slot 58 which extends longitudinally ofthe sleeve 52, together with a land 60 at the upper end of sleeve 52. Pin 62 is secured to the upper end of the shank 38 and protrudes laterally therefrom. This pin is adapted to ride on land 66 `and to be engaged in slot 52. When in slot 52 the hook 36 protrudes generally perpendicular to the plane of the carrier support 24. When pin 62 is on land 60, the hook 36 is generally flush with the surface of support 24. fln this position the hook and shank is fitted in a recess 64 formed in the carrier support in order to accommodate these elements.

Plate 50, sleeve 52 and the other elements associated `with them are in a small housing 70 formed by raising the ply 30 near the top thereof and having a stiffening plate 72 mountedthereunder. This plate `is shaped to form the desired configuration ofthe housing 70 that is, a housing of sufficient depth to accommodate the pivot connection of the shank 38 with the support 24. The lower end of the housing has an opening 74 in it, this opening providing a passageway through which shank 38 extends.

Resilient means are attached to the sleeve 52 and to the shank 38, these means functioning to serve two purposes. The first purpose is to constantly press by yielding force, the hook 4t) into its recess 64. In this Way the hook when not in use is maintained in a position which will not interfere with the actions of the hunter. The second function of spring 78 is to automatically release the latch at the outer end of shank 38. When the latch retains hook 40 extended generally perpendicular to the support Z4 the pin 62 is seated in slot 38. However, the spring 78 must be stretched to permit the pin to be pulled downwardly into Slot 38 inasmuch as spring 78 is both a tension and torsion spring in its functioning. The exte11` lhunter, it is in readiment for immediate action.

-sion Vof the spring which places it under a tensile load is achieved by having the rifle rest Ain the hook 70. Therefore when the rilie is lifted from the hook the spring, by its inherent resiliency, returns the shank to which hook .140 Tis attached Athereby lifting Ipin '62 jfrom -s'lot 58. In addition since the spring 78 is yunder atorsion load, ythis fload "being applied 'by `@rotatingthe shankUSto withdraw hook v4t) from its :recess 64, releasing the `latch permits fthe potential energy stored in the spring 78 vto rotate shank 38 `to a `position iiush with regard :to support v24.

In use the hunter'manually'pulls 'the hook from recess v-641and yp'laceslhis gun, -forexamplefrie 20, thereon. The 'weight of x,the =gu n pulls pin 621in'tolthe slot V58 thereby :locking the yhook in -suclrpositionithat it is approxim-ately Kperpendicular to :the support 24. iIf the rie Vis placed 'with lits `center of gravity approximately positioned over 'the `hook fof the rifie carrier, the rifle will be balanced `on fthe hook and make 'it lextremely easy to carry and 'lrandle bythe hunter'. The-rifle may be carried higher or flower on the hunter or at an angle which he desires for fhis personal convenience. When the hunter is ready to use the rifle, even at an instants notice, he lifts the rifle from the hook and due to its position alongside of the However, the instant that the rifle is removed from the hook,

-'the-spring `78`lifts the hook and rotates it ltherebyreturnling it to its recess in the support 24. It cannot act as fan obstructionfto the hunter in this position and he isfree :to use his ride in any way that he chooses.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the :principles of the invention. Further, since numerous :modifications and Vchanges will readily occur to those .skilled in the art, yitis not desired to limit the invention ato the exact vconstruction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents lmay V'be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

-What is claimed `as new is as follows:

1. vA `gun carrier comprising a body stra-p, a gun cradle, a 'support for Isaid cradle lcarried by said body strap, resilient means for pressing said'cradle against said support, a latch releasably retaining said cradle lin one position, said support including a panel provided with a :recess in which to accommodate said cradle when it is pressed by said resilient means against said support.

2. A ride carrier for a hunter which includes a body strap vand a support attached to the body strap, saidsupport having an outer surface, a cradle for the rie and including a shank, means mounting said shank on said support for rotation so that said cradle may be rotated to -rest position superposed and flush with -said support surface and said cradle may be rotated to a rifle supporting position which is approximately normal to said surface of the support, said mounting means including a sleeve in which a portion of said shank is mounted for rotation, and yielding means attached to said sleeve and said shank constantly biasing said shank so that said cradle is in said rest position.

4. A rifle carrier for a hunter, said carrier including a body strap a support attached to the body strap, a cradle for the ride and including a shank, means mounting said shank on said support for rotation so that said cradle may be rotated to a rest position superposed with respect to said support and said cradle may be rotated to a rifle supporting position which is approximately normal to said support, said mounting means including a sleeve in which a portion of said shank is mounted for rotation, yielding means attached vto said sleeve and said shank constantly biasing said s'h'ank so that said cradle is in said rest position, and a llatch operatively connected with said shank and said sleeve `in order to hold said shank'ina rcleasablylatched position `to supportthe riiie.

5. The rifle carrier of claim 3 wherein said support includes a panel, a housing 4connected with said panel,

and said sleeve and a portion of said shank being disposed 'in said' housing.

6. The rie carrier of clai1n'3 wherein said support 'has an loutwardly opening recess in ywhich to accommodate said cradle.

7. The rie -carrier of `claim 3 lwherein Ione end of lsaid cradle lhas la smoothlyfcontoured surface functioning asaguide over which Athe trigger guard of the ric passes whenheing removed from said cradle.

8. ln a r'ie carrier which has a support, a `rifle cradle, means mounting said cradle on said support for rotation from a rest position to a rifle supporting position, means connectedto said cradle for releasably holding said cradle in the rifle supporting position, said cradle having an end provided withv opposite sides, one of `said sides being curved towards'one of the side edges of the support when the cradle is in the rifle supporting position to provide a guide surface over vwhich a portion `of the rie is slidable when removing the rie Ifrom said cradle, said support 'having a recess in which to accommodate said rcradle when in the rest position, and means for urging said cradle into said recess.

References Cited in the le of ythis patent 

